Shyla's Adventure
by the-Bookworm-Princess
Summary: A short-story about the adventure of a young ottermaid and her friend. Please go easy on me, this is my first fic. R&R plz! :D
1. Chapter One

Shyla the Otter was a very sweet and playful little critter. She could never resist playing games like hide and seek with her friends, but was otherwise very shy and soft-spoken. Today found her sitting under a blossoming cherry tree with a crown of flowers on her head. She was reading a book and soaking in the sun's rays.

As Shyla was reading and drifting off into faraway lands, she was suddenly jolted into reality by a strange rustling noise in the bushes behind her. "Who's there?" she called into the dense brush. The head of an otter poked out of the bushes. "Mikaruse!" she cried, "Don't sneak up on me like that."

Mikaruse giggled as she climbed out of the bushes. "Sorry. Hey, it's hot. Do you wanna go swim in the river?" 

"I would LOVE to!" Shyla said with a grin.

So the two of them swam about in the river for a while, but when they got out and started drying themselves off, Shyla noticed some strange footprints on the river bank.

"Mika, come look at these strange footprints," Shyla called to her friend. 

"They seem to lead into the woods," commented Mikaruse as she examined them, "let's follow them and see where they lead." They followed the strange tracks deep into Mossflower wood. They were getting into the deeper part of the woods when Shyla, keeping her eyes on the prints, said, "They are too big to be mouse or squirrel footprints, and too small to be a badger's. They definitely aren't from any otter either. What do you think, Mika?" There was silence. "Mika? Mika, are you listening to me?" She turned to see Mika, frozen where she stood, her eyes wide open, and mouth agape. She slowly raised her paw and pointed. Shyla looked in the direction Mika was pointing, and screamed.


	2. Chapter Two

Standing a few feet away from them was the tallest ferret Shyla had ever seen. He was tall and menacing, and held a huge sword in his hand. He wore a long black cape and the skull of a mole on his head like a helmet. He was looking at the two otters with an evil gleam in his eye. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" he said in a smooth voice, "Two little otters that have strayed too far from home?" He chuckled evilly as he brandished the sword. Up until now the otters had been frozen with fear, but the idea dawned on Shyla to run. She grabbed Mika's paw and they turned to make an escape but found their path blocked by two armed weasels and a one-eared fox. 

"Take them back to the camp!" the ferret ordered. The weasel named Screwtail nodded towards the ferret and then he and the other weasel seized the two otters. Mika, who was now shaking, yielded immediately, while Shlya started kicking at her captors; but she soon ceased after a few prods of a spear from the fox. The captives were led deeper into Mossflower, to a place where they had never been before. The weasels halted near a grove of very thick, tall trees. 

"This is their camp?" Shyla wondered to her herself, "I see nothing but trees." The fox began examining each tree that was in a certain row, examining as if he were searching for some special marking. 

"Aha!" he said when he found one that had a tiny knot its side, that wasn't noticeable unless you knew what to look for. He led the way now, on a path that you could only see once you had found the knot. After walking a little ways, Shlya was amazed to see that concealed within the grove there was a fort. 

The fox knocked on a door in the short wall surrounding the fort. A panel at the top slid open, only for a second, to reveal a pair of eyes before it closed again. The door opened and the fox was greeted by a pine marten asking about orders from Razorclaw. "That must be the ferret that we saw back there," Shyla thought. 

"Screwtail! Grisclaw!" the fox commanded the weasels, "Show our guests their new quarters." "With pleasure," Grisclaw said, with an evil smile from ear to ear. 

They were led to a small building with one barred window and one door. The prisoners each had one ankle chained to the wall. "Now that you're all comfy," Grisclaw began, "there's something you ought to know. Screwtail and I will be outside guarding you two. And if we catch you trying anything funny, you won't get your daily bread and water ration. Understand?" he asked routinely, not expecting answer. Shyla grew bold and asked, "Why are you taking us prisoner? You have no right to-" Smack! She got no further before Grisclaw slapped her hard across the face, knocking her down. 

"You wanna know why?" he sneered as Mika knelt next to her stricken friend. "Because the Chief said so, that's why! And I'm gonna tell that pine marten, Rakefur, that he can just forget about bringing you your bread and water for today!" With that, the two weasels stormed out of the cell, slamming and locking the door behind them. 

"Why did we take them prisoner?" Screwtail, who was a little slow, asked his partner. 

"Because, you numbskull, we need them to help us get ready for our attack on Redwall!"


	3. Chapter Three

Meanwhile, Shyla was pacing in her prison. She had a restless soul, and a strong will. "We've got to get out of here," she said with determination. 

Mika nodded, "But how? Those two finks are guarding the door." 

"I know," Shyla said, now walking in a circle. "We've got to trick them somehow, outsmart them." 

"Well, one thing's for sure," Mika said sadly, "we aren't going anywhere unless we can somehow get out of these rusty chains." She pulled at them, hoping they would be old and break, but they did not. She banged her head against the wall in frustration, and a piece of stone fell from one of the bricks. "Maybe if I smack the rock on the chains, they will eventually break," she said optimistically, and began pounding her bonds. 

Unbeknownst to the captives, a hummingbird named Speedwing had been watching them since their capture. She now watched the guards, who were drinking ale, which had been delivered to them by Rakefur. After the fourth round of ale, the two weasels began to get sluggish. "I'll just close one eye, and take a half nap. Then, I'll open that eye and close the other so it makes a whole nap," the dim-witted Screwtail thought to himself as he sat down next to the door. Grisclaw too, soon fell asleep, aided by the ale. Speedwing flew down and hovered near the window of the cell. 

"Hurry," she said, "before they wake up! How can I help?" Shyla was startled by the soft, high-pitched voice, but she soon saw that the bird truly wanted to, and probably could, help them escape. And in Mika's mind, anything besides pounding her chain with a rock would be worth a try. Shyla's quick mind had already created a plan, maybe not a foolproof one, but it was still a plan. 

"What are you willing to risk?" she asked the bird. "Anything,"came the reply, "for a good meal." 

"Good. Do you think that with your long beak you could reach into the guards pocket and grab the keys?"

"I think so."

"Good."

"Am I guaranteed a good meal?" Speedwing added quickly. 

"Sure. If you can get Mika and me back to the abbey, we will have a banquet in you honor," Shyla said absentmindedly, pacing again. "But even if we get out of our chains, then how do we get past the guards and out of the fort?" 

They all thought for a while, then Mika suddenly cried, "I've got it! Rosebud!" 

"What?!?" Shyla asked, putting a finger to her lips, as Mika had cried rather loudly. "How is a stupid flower supposed to help us escape?"

"No no no, Rosebud the Skunk!" Mika said excitedly. She turned to the bird, "I'm not quite sure, as I don't know where we are, but I don't think she lives too far from here. If I'm right, a little ways east of here there's a clearing with a patch of flowers in the middle of it. She is almost always in the flowers, I guess she likes the smell," she said with a smile, then continued, "Just call out her name; if you find her, tell her what's going on and when you get back to the fort- You can find your way back can't you?"

"Sure can, and I know just the clearing you're talking about."

"Ok, so then you'll both come back, she'll use her "charm" to get past the gatekeeper, while you get the key from those two dreamers over there. Then you'll give us the key, she'll use her "charm" on the guards and then we run for it."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Shyla said.

"Me too," Speedwing agreed. "I'm on it," and with that, she was gone. 


	4. Chapter Four

Speedwing made her way out of the fort and narrowly missed a rock thrown at her by a rat sentry as she flew over the wall. "Stupid bird," the rat thought to himself. He didn't think her much of a threat and was too lazy to report her, so Speedwing was, for the most part, unnoticed. She artfully darted through the forest until she came upon the clearing. Speedwing drew in her breath at he sight. 

There, in the middle of the clearing, were the flowers Shyla had described. But her description did not d o them justice. It was beautiful. Shyla had called it a field of wildflowers, but it was much more than that; it was a glimpse of what the Garden of Eden must have looked like. There were green, flower-studded vines hanging down from the ring of trees surrounding the clearing. In the center, were the flowers. Cornflowers, daisies, buttercups, bluebonnets, pansies, sunflowers, orchids, impatients, and vincas. Hibiscus, wild, rose, and lilac bushes dotted the northern rim of the clearing. For a while, Speedwing just hovered there, drinking it all in; then she remembered the task at hand. "Rosebud," she called, her eyes scanning the flowers for any sign of movement, "Roooooooossebuuuuuuuuud." She heard nothing and saw no sign of life. She flitted down to the ground and began smelling the flowers and drinking their nectar "Ahhhh! *slurp* Mmm! Rosebud! Are you here? *sniff* Ahhhh! Rosebud!" Suddenly, she saw a huge shadow drift over her and the flowers. 

Speedwing whirled around. 

"Rosebud's a nappin' but you can leave a message with me if you want. Jolly good memory I have, wot wot." Speedwing just stood there, gaping at the strange hare. "Look like a regular lil' codfish with your mouth hanging open like that, you do. You're doin' a right good job of it too." 

Speedwing shook herself out her trance and said, "Where is Rosebud? I must speak to her! I need her help. Quickly!"

"Steady on, mate. Like a told you, she's a nappin'. Nice long one too, wot wot." 

"But you don't understand, Hare-"

"Ah-ah!" said the hare shaking his head, "Toodles is me name. What's yours chum?"

"Speedwing, but we have no time for this! Two otters have been captured by a fox captain and need our help, and Rosebud!" 

"A fox, you say? Never liked the creatures myself, too clever and sneaky, wot wot. Now in this situation I think it might be alright to awake Rosebud from her nap don't you think? Yes I suppose it is," said the hare, answering his own question. So they aroused the skunk and Speedwing told them both the plan. 

"I like it!" said Rosebud, "Let's go!" 

"Tallyho!"


End file.
